Former Masters champion Charl Schwartzel was involved in one of the most bizarre moments golf has witnessed after his ball was remarkably swallowed by a fish during LIV Golf Bedminster.
Golfers are accustomed to seeing wayward shots disappear into water, trees and bunkers, while encounters with wildlife are hardly unheard of either.
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But Schwartzel could scarcely have anticipated what awaited him after finding trouble at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster.
The extraordinary incident occurred at the 134-yard par-three seventh hole, where the South African watched his shot initially find the green before spinning away from the putting surface.
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His ball continued rolling down the bank and eventually dropped into the water surrounding the hole.
Ordinarily, that would have been the end of the story.
Instead, footage captured a fish immediately appearing beneath the surface and seemingly swallowing Schwartzel’s golf ball moments after it entered the lake.
The remarkable sight left those watching struggling to comprehend what had just happened.
One commentator reacted by saying: “I have never seen that.”
The footage inevitably attracted plenty of attention from golf fans on social media, with viewers joking about Schwartzel’s extraordinary piece of misfortune.
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The fish took his ball 🤯
That’s not something you see every day. pic.twitter.com/SpC4AEg9Xc
— TNT Sports (@tntsports) August 9, 2026
“Golf balls are now good bait apparently lmfao,” one fan wrote.
Another joked: “Gonna start using golf balls as bait.”
A third suggested the fish had been anticipating its opportunity throughout the tournament, writing: “Dude’s been waiting all day.”
And another viewer took aim at LIV Golf itself following the unusual episode.
“The most memorable moment in #LIVGolf history,” they joked.
Unfortunately for Schwartzel, there was more to worry about than simply becoming the subject of a viral clip.
With his ball lost in the water, the 41-year-old was forced to take a one-shot penalty before continuing the hole.
He eventually walked away with a bogey after an incident that will surely rank among the strangest of his lengthy professional career.
Schwartzel ultimately completed the LIV Golf Bedminster tournament at two-over-par, although his encounter with the hungry resident of the course’s lake proved far more memorable than his final score.
The South African is certainly no stranger to major moments on the golf course.
His greatest triumph arrived at Augusta National in 2011, when he produced a stunning finish to capture the Masters and secure the biggest title of his career.
Schwartzel later became one of the prominent names to join LIV Golf following the breakaway circuit’s launch in 2022.
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